(Pre)Book Review: “Start Something That Matters”

Last week my sister gave me the book “Start Something That Matters” as a congratulatory gift for launching my Etsy store!

It couldn’t have been a more thoughtful or appropriate gift (thank you Melissa!) because it was written by one of my philanthropy heroes – Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes.

I’ve only gotten through one chapter, but I can already tell it’s going to be one of my favorite reads. It’s both empowering and motivating and makes me want to work double time to get Live Love Life Now™ to a similar place of giving.

Unfortunately, I haven’t come up with my own “One for One” giving idea but that has become a new goal of mine for the future! And aside from being an absolute philanthropic genius, the thing I like best about Blake is that he has made “giving” cool and brought it mainstream…creating “thousands of customer-philanthropists along the way”!

Volunteering My Artistic Ability

This past Saturday, I registered with Greater DC Cares to participate in their annual Servathon.

My project was held at the local T.C. Williams High School Minnie Howard Campus where we were assigned to beautify the landscape around the school and within their courtyard.

Groups of volunteers worked through bouts of heavy rain to plant flowers and clean up the grounds while the rest of us were fortunate enough to stay inside on painting duty – yay!

While our painting canvases were simple brick pavers that would be used to edge flowerbeds, we were told to get creative and paint whatever designs we wanted on their fronts.

Initially our painting crew felt a little overwhelmed with the artistic license but then we got into it wholeheartedly and spent much time encouraging each other's ideas.

All in all, it was a super lovely way to spend a Saturday morning!

Another t-shirt for the gym!

This was too cute not to include! Did you notice they put lizards on the doors too?

Our painting assembly line

I was always the last to finish painting – darn OCD!

My nod to Jackson Pollock

This brick was inspired by Holton Rower

My boyfriend documented our day by painting rain clouds and the DC Greater Cares logo on his brick

A fellow volunteer painted her brick in tribute to the school

My final brick…I'm clearly out of ideas by this point – ha!

Japan’s Animals Need Our Help Too

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan only nine days ago not only affected its people but also their animals.

GreaterGood.org™ has teamed up with The Hunger Site to earmark 100% of their donations to the emergency assistance and recovery for Japan’s animal survivors.

Please take a minute to click here and lend your support.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Barco’s Nightingales℠ Foundation

My father is one of those people who can make friends wherever he goes.

He’s also one of the most compassionate people I know and his generosity makes me aspire to be a more caring human being.

Two years ago, on behalf of his company Barco Uniforms®, my father and stepmother founded the Barco’s Nightingales℠ Foundation to “support the vitality and courageous heart of nursing, while also dedicating [them]selves to honoring the spirit of those women and men who choose nursing by focusing [their] philanthropic efforts on helping to mend the lives of children and their families.”

I’ve always been proud of my father for all that he does to better the lives of his family, friends and employees everyday, but there are no words to describe how proud I am of his foundation work.

He traveled to Peru last year with the Smile Train on one of their mission trips to better the lives of children through free cleft lip and palate surgery and is currently planning the foundation’s first charity walk this spring alongside RMHC’s Walk for Kids.

His most recent success though has been in partnering Barco Uniforms® with ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and CafePress to launch an online store that makes Grey’s Anatomy scrubs available to fans all over the world and one dollar from each purchase of $25 or more will go to benefit the Nightingales℠ Foundation. As a tribute to the partnership, the February 10th episode included a nod to the Foundation and ABC also produced a corresponding PSA with Eric Dane to generate additional support for the cause.

While I am blown away by all that he has been able to achieve in only two years, I’m never surprised by his successes because nothing can stop my father from accomplishing something that he puts his mind and heart into.

Thank you dad for the continuing lesson that anything can happen if you believe in it enough…and that one person can make a difference. I love you.

Giving Back can be Good Exercise

I’m not one of those people that volunteer a hundred hours a year or give thousands of dollars to charitable organizations…but I wish I were.

So I’m designing Live Love Life Now as my vehicle to giving back by always contributing a portion of the proceeds to those in need.

But I don’t want to wait till the business is up and running to start my philanthropy, so I’m starting to carve out more of my own time to volunteer.

This past Saturday, I signed up with Greater DC Cares to participate in their annual Servathon. Assigned to refinishing used and abused classroom furniture at a local YMCA, my donation to the cause was a little bit of elbow grease – and it felt great!